Prince William praised for public declaration of love on Kate's birthday
Prince William has shared a touching message on social media to mark his wife, Kate, Princess of Wales' birthday after a difficult year.
The royal is celebrating her 43rd birthday at home in Windsor with her family, after a challenging past 12 months which saw her undergo abdominal surgery, be diagnosed with cancer and complete chemotherapy treatment.
Alongside a black and white image of his wife, shared to Instagram, William wrote: "To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you’ve shown over the last year has been remarkable. George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W."
The accompanying image is an unseen picture taken by Matt Porteous in Windsor last summer, showing the princess looking relaxed and smiling with her hands in her jeans pockets and a gingham scarf loosely worn round her neck.
Earlier, the monarchy’s official social media account also shared a message to Kate: "Happy Birthday to The Princess of Wales!" followed by a birthday cake emoji.
It was accompanied by a photo of Kate smiling in a green coat as she collected bouquets of flowers from well wishers while attending church in Sandringham on Christmas Day.
Following the sharing of William's touching post, fans praised the royal for his unusually emotional message to his wife.
"This is everything," one Instagram user wrote. "What a beautiful heartfelt message. Happy birthday to the Princess of Wales."
"Such beautiful words from HRH Prince William - lovely to see!" agreed another.
"Happy birthday our princess, Catherine," yet another fan commented. "I love this photo and message from your husband."
"The most wonderful birthday message from our Prince to his Princess," another user added.
Kate will be marking her birthday at home in Windsor, with her husband and their children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and six-year-old Prince Louis.
The last year has been difficult for the royal family following both Kate and the King's cancer diagnoses, with William describing 2024 as "brutal".
Next week marks a year since Kate was admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery on January 16, just seven days after her 42nd birthday. She spent nearly two weeks in the London Clinic after undergoing the major operation, and was recuperating at home when she was told she had cancer and had to begin chemotherapy.
In March, Kate announced in an emotional video message that she had begun preventative chemotherapy treatment after cancer had been found in tests following her surgery.
In the wake of her health journey, Kate said: "Most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok."
Kate later announced she had completed chemotherapy and was "focused on staying cancer free" in a moving family video, which showed her enjoying the great outdoors with her husband and their three children.
Last year the Princess of Wales stepped back from public duties while she was undergoing and recovering from treatment, but was able to return to some public events later in the year, including to host her annual Together at Christmas Carol Service.
Read more about the royal family:
Kate Middleton: A timeline of the princess’s year so far, from cancer diagnosis to royal return (Independent, 8-min read)
As Meghan shares emotional video following dog’s death, how you can deal with pet grief (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
Kate’s cancer update: The timeline of her ‘incredibly tough’ nine months (PA, 9-min read)
